Cream Legbars

[chicken pickin]

Heritage breeders claim the fuller the tent is the better layers the hens will be.

X2

A tented tail isn't mentioned in the SOP but as Enola says heritage breeders breed toward females with nice tented tails they say thoses hens lay better and are what should be bred forward. Narrrow tail might be workable but pinched tails should be culls. A tent I believe is what to aim for.

 

[chicken pickin]

Just another quick example of what I see as a tented tail and a narrow tail.

 

[losttexan]

Jumping in and need advice:
Won an auction at RBA and will be receiving 12+ Rees day-old CLs from Greenfire. I have raised a few clutches of chicks before, so I'm not a rank newbie, but was simply wondering if there is anything those of you who have been raising CLs would suggest/note as different when raising this particular breed. Anyone saying, "I wish I had . . ."?

 

[caychris]

Jumping in and need advice:
Won an auction at RBA and will be receiving 12+ Rees day-old CLs from Greenfire. I have raised a few clutches of chicks before, so I'm not a rank newbie, but was simply wondering if there is anything those of you who have been raising CLs would suggest/note as different when raising this particular breed. Anyone saying, "I wish I had . . ."?

They definitely need to be contained. Any time the lid was off they were out of the box/brooder like a shot. More likely to fly than most other chickens. Handling the chicks should tame them some otherwise they are my most skittish.

 

[sol2go]

Jumping in and need advice:
Won an auction at RBA and will be receiving 12+ Rees day-old CLs from Greenfire. I have raised a few clutches of chicks before, so I'm not a rank newbie, but was simply wondering if there is anything those of you who have been raising CLs would suggest/note as different when raising this particular breed. Anyone saying, "I wish I had . . ."?

Congratulations!
Looking forward to your pictures =)

My contribution - On more than one occasion, I wish I had waited to introduce them to other breeds/older birds. I have found CL's to be very adept at learning from others. When kept within their CL hatching group, they have been calmer and quieter; not to say that they are noisy or flighty. They catch up fast enough, and have always done well in a mixed flock.
In the meantime it makes for a peaceful group that seems to be very attentive to the humans around them. I would compare that to encouraging your baby to walk early vs enjoying the crawling stage and giving yourself some extra time.

 

[chicken pickin]

Jumping in and need advice:
Won an auction at RBA and will be receiving 12+ Rees day-old CLs from Greenfire. I have raised a few clutches of chicks before, so I'm not a rank newbie, but was simply wondering if there is anything those of you who have been raising CLs would suggest/note as different when raising this particular breed. Anyone saying, "I wish I had . . ."?

I haven't personally noted anything special they need. I raise mine the same as any other chicken I have. They have been raised in batches of just CL also batches of other breeds, hand raised and broody raised etc. All very similar results, broody raised were a little standoffish but not bad. This isnt something I could change but the only thing I noticed in my adult CL is the tendency for CL males to get severe frost bite in the colder regions. With you being in TX that shouldn't be a concern for you. Oh one more thing also not sure if it makes a difference but I feed mine a higher protein feed for a longer amount of time I feel it makes them fill in better but this is not something I have recorded to know if it is true.

The Rees line you will see the males are slooooooow to mature. I have found they are also a little "scrawnier" side than our already existing CL in the U.S. So don't be too concerned if you note they are a little on the smallish side.

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

I won some Legbars from Green Fire as well...Reese lines...

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

On another note...has anyone ever had problem with their Legbars having toes that kind of curl forward?

 

[chicken pickin]

On another note...has anyone ever had problem with their Legbars having toes that kind of curl forward?

I had only one male from my own CL line not Rees that had curled toes on both feet. He was overall a very nice looking cockerel but was culled over this past weekend due to his curled toes. It could have been an incubator issue but I was advised that it could be genetic and breeding him might not be a good idea.

Here he is a little over a month ago. I believe he was about 3months old in the pic. One foot the toes curled more than the other. Please excuse his dirty feet.

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

Yes, exactly! I have a cute little pullet that has this. Also, not from Reese lines. Darn! She's such a sweetie. Guess she'll either be sold for a layer or go in the pot. :/